200 Harley Street: Her Perfect Stranger

Special thanks and acknowledgement are given to Carol Marinelli for her contribution to the 200 Harley Street series.

Can you fall for a man you've never met?

Head nurse Helen has a secret. Every day for the past six months, she's been falling ever so slightly in love with a stranger. She knows that he catches the 7:02 train to London with her. She knows he has gorgeous green eyes. And she knows it's not an accident that their eyes meet so often across the crowded train aisle. She just doesn't know his name

But one morning, Helen's world collides with her perfect stranger and her life is turned upside-down. Aiden Danaher is even more irresistible once they start talking, and as for when they start kissing Helen simply doesn't want to stop! But surely you can't fall in love with someone you've only just met?

Chapter Fifteen

'Good of you to put in an appearance!' Edward said as Aiden arrived in the theatre and the scrub nurse went to help him into a gown. 'There's no need to scrub in now,' Edward said, 'I managed to survive this far without you.'

Aiden glanced over to Jed who just rolled his eyes.

The tension in theatre was palpable, the nurses were all on edge, and between patients Aiden found out that Edward's mood this morning had been so poisonous that one of the nursing staff had left the theater mid-operation in tears.

'How was Saturday?' Jed asked as they grabbed a coffee.

'Fine.'

'Are you going to do something about it?'

'About what?' Aiden snapped.

'You could practically see the sparks coming off the two of you the other night.'

'She's engaged.'

'Did you see her this morning?'

'Excuse me?'

'Every time you lift your arm I want to kiss you but now I've realised that Annabelle wears the same deodorant.' Jed even named the brand.

'It keeps me in touch with my feminine side,' Aiden gave a tight smile. 'I overslept this morning, I was rushing, I must have picked up an ex's.' If Jed ever wanted to leave go anesthetics, Aiden couldn't help thinking that a career as a detective might be a good choice for him to consider.

Aiden would never tell Jed or anyone what had happened this morning, he couldn't do that to Helen, yet, as they headed to ICU with Edward to assess a patient, so too did Aiden's disquiet. Not for what had taken place, but for the way things had been left this morning.

He didn't have her phone number, he didn't even know where she worked. If he did, he could try and call her.

Maybe he could go over to hers, but then Aiden remembered he was covering for a friend tonight.

'It was a good night on Saturday,' Jed commented as they walked through the corridor. 'It was lovely to meet Helen.'

Aiden wished Jed would just leave it.

'Well, I'm not sure if you'll be meeting her again,' came Edward's tart response. 'I practically had to carry her home. I apologise if she offended anyone.'

'She was delightful,' Jed said and he looked over to Aiden who's face was as black as thunder as Edward did his best to sew the seeds that would discredit his fiancée.

'Do you know ' Aiden said and then halted.

He only had today and tomorrow to get through, he reminded himself, as they walked into ICU. As much as he loathed the man, there was no doubt as to his brilliance.

'Thank you!' Laura Mitchell, the patient's wife, was effusive as she thanked Edward. 'I thought we were going to lose him.'

'He's got a way to go yet,' Edward said, 'but I'm quietly confident that he's going to be fine.' They were barely out of the door before Edward added, for his entourage's benefit, 'It's lucky for Mr. Mitchell that I was the one on-call when he came in.'

Would nothing bring Edward down? Aiden thought, arching his neck in an attempt to get rid of the tension.